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Some Great Quotations

I'm not convinced that Ronald Reagan was a President that history will see as one of the "great" ones. However, some of his words certainly hold some great truths. Apologize in advance if you've already seen these.

'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.' - Ronald Reagan (What did he know about GM that we didn't know?)

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.'- Ronald Reagan (Oh, boy! Ain't this the truth?!)

'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'- Ronald Reagan (We've seen plenty of this. Probably many more to come.)

'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.' - Ronald Reagan (Health care reform?)

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.'- Ronald Reagan (This is downright scary thought based on legislation now in progress.)

' I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.". - Ronald Reagan (Would be funny if it weren't too true.)

'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.' Ronald Reagan

'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.'- Ronald Reagan (Possibly the best one of all).

G.Clinchy@gmail.com"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none ever happened." -Libby Fudim

​I don't use the PM feature, so just email me direct at the address shown above.

Agreed Labdoc, Jefferson is the Man. Some of his stuff is prophetic for being written over 200 years ago. Look at No. 2 and No. 10!

1. When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.Thomas Jefferson2. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson3. It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. Thomas Jefferson

4. I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson5. My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. Thomas Jefferson

6. No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. Thomas Jefferson7. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson8. The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Thomas Jefferson

9. To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. Thomas Jefferson

10. I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

I enjoy number 9 in your list. The actual quote is "That to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." It comes from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom which was reportedly authored by Jefferson and what is prohibits is the use of any government funds in any manner whatsoever to support religious activity.

By the way, number 2 and 5 are not Jefferson quotes. Number 10 is taken out of context and when put in context appears to be an argument in favor of national banks and it relates to the issue of banks becoming issuers of currency. In today's financial markets, private financial institutions are actually the primary creators of what is counted as currency (which includes bank debits and credits) and that was definitely a factor in the financial collapse.:

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered...I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

The man who reads nothing at all is better than educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

In matters of style, swim with the current;
In matters of principle, stand like a rock.

-----Thomas Jefferson----

Sadly there is no way this man, in all his wisdom, could ever be elected today because he said it as it was (and is), not as people want to hear.

The explanation is simple. A good percentage of "quotes" on the Internet were never said by the person to whom they are attributed (e.g. frequent "Cicero" citations about the impact of welfare in Rome). However, they sound good and/or support a particular current political position, and end up circulating wildly. The first clue tends to be that the "quotes" do not indicate where or when the statement was made and the text of the quote seems a little too appropriate to modern debates. There are a variety of compendia of Jefferson works and quotations available on the Internet -- the Jefferson Encyclopedia among others -- that routinely research such attributions against the original text of Jefferson's writings. Those particular quotes are simply not things he said. One of them was from a statement made by another person about Jefferson. The other is of unknown origin. The problem is that so many people end up using these erroneous quotes in their forum postings that you have to wade through pages of non-authoritative regurgitations before you actually get to anyone who has actually read what Jefferson wrote as opposed to pasting from an email.

EDIT: Note, a number of stories circulated widely on the Internet actually began their lives as satirical, fictional "news" stories similar to those published by the Onion. One person passes it to another, it gets posted on a blog, and the fact that it began life as fiction is conveniently forgotten.